Box or carton, and blank therefor



N. G. BEALS BOX OR CARTON, AND BLANK THEREFOR May 28, 1968 Filed July 18, 1966 m6 I- m WHM United States Patent Office 3,385,505 BOX R CARTON, AND BLANK THEREFOR Nelson G. Beals, Waldwick, N.J., assiguor to Uniroyal, Inc., a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 18, 1966, Ser. No. 565,929 11 Claims. (til. 229-32) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Boxes or cartons made of tri-paneled sheet material blanks cut from a multi-blank length source strip. The three box end wall-forming extensions at either end of each blank are arranged asymmetricaly across the blank and in reverse to the arrangement of an identical set of end wall-forming extensions at the other end of the blank, while at each end of the blank the extensions of the bottom-forming middle panel and one side wall-forming panel are mated to each other to define, when adjoined in edge to edge relation, a somewhat less than full size inner layer of the respective end wall, the extension of the other side wall-forming panel is of full size to constitute the outer layer of the respective end wall, and only the region of the middle panel and its extensions is substantially devoid of covering material on its outer surface, so that both the amount of such covering material used and the incurred scrap losses of the covering material and of the blank-forming sheet material are minimized.

Background of the invention This invention relates to paperboard or cardboard boxes or cartons and to the blanks from which such boxes or cartons are made.

Relatively small open-topped boxes or cartons, for example shoe boxes, are generally made by folding an elongated blank of paperboard or like sheet material into suitable configuration along longitudinal and transverse fold lines, the end walls of such a box being defined by appropriately dimensioned, folded-over and secured end flaps or sections of the longitudinal panels, and the outside surface of each end wall generally being defined by the usually square or rectangular end flap of the middle panel which forms the bottom of the box. In boxes of this type, the outside surface of the blank, i.e. that surface thereof which will be the outside of the box, is ordinarily covered with a suitable lining material, e.g. paper, for esthetic reasons, and since the end flaps of the middle panel of the blank become the outer layers of the end walls of the box, such lining material must be applied to the entire blank, even the bottom-forming middle panel thereof. It will be readily appreciated that when the box is completed, that portion of this liner which covers the bottom of the box is in effect wasted.

For purposes of strength it is furthermore generally deemed advisable to provide a double wall thickness at the two ends of each box. This makes it necessary in the known box constructions to cut the blank so that the end flaps of the two side panels at each end of the box mate with each other when folded over across the respective end space between the side panels. The juncture lines of the mated end flaps may be oriented either perpendicularly or obliquely to the bottom of the box. If the pairs of mated side panel end flaps constitute the outer layers of the end walls, then it is additionally necessary to apply external covering sheets thereover to hide the juncture lines. Irrespective of whether the side panel end flaps form the inside or the outside layers of the end walls, however, the cutting of such blanks from a continuous, appropriately scored, elongated strip of paperboard or like sheet 3,385,595 Patented May 28, 1968 material results in considerable scrap losses of the board between successive blanks.

Summary of the invention It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a novel type of blank for paperboard boxes or cartons, which enables the aforesaid disadvantages to be substantially avoided and appreciable manufacturing economies to be achieved.

Briefly stated, the objectives of the present invention are achieved by cutting the various blanks from the source strip of paperboard or like sheet material in such a manner that scrap losses are minimized and that the box end wall-forming flaps or extensions at either end of each blank are so asymmetrically shaped and arranged that an extension of a respective one of the side wall-forming panels, rather than an extension of the middle or bottomforming panel as has heretofore been the vogue, is of full size to enable it to constitute the outer layer of the two-ply end wall. The latter of these features leads to further savings in that it greatly minimizes the consumption of paper or other outside covering material, by virtue of the fact that it is now possible to omit the application of any such covering material to the middle panel region of the source strip along its entire length, even those sections which ultimately become the end wall-forming extensions of the bottom-forming panels of the various blanks.

Brief description of the drawing The foregoing and other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the outside surface of a strip of paperboard cut into box-forming blanks according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a partly finished box and illustrates the manner of folding the blank to form the box; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a completed box according to the present invention.

Preferred embodiments Referring now in particular to FIG. 1, the elongated strip S of paperboard or like carton-forming sheet material, and thus each blank 8' made therefrom, is divided into three side-by-side panel regions A, B and C by longitudinal parallel scorings or fold lines D and E. The strip or sheet S is further provided with a plurality of pairs of transverse scorings or fold lines F and G, each pair of such fold lines being spaced from one another by the intended length of the box H (FIG. 3) to be produced. The precise means employed for cutting the strip or sheet S into the form of the blanks 8' do not constitute a part of the present invention and thus are not explicitly described or illustrated herein, but it will be readily apparent that such cutting means must be designed to sever each of the initially rectangular panel end regions defined between each fold line F and the proximate fold line G of the next adjacent pair of fold lines approximately diagonally into two complementary, identical sets of independently movable end flaps AB'C' and A"B"C". The arrangement and contours of the end flaps at one end of each blank 5 are, consequently, precisely the reverse of the arrangement and contours of the end flaps at the other end of the same blank.

Referring further to FIG. 1, in the illustrated form of the invention the widths of the identically rectangular outer panels A and C of each blank S are equal to the 3 intended depth of the box H and somewhat less than the width of the middle panel B which is equal to the intended width of the box. Although the box H thus will be of greater width than depth, it is to be understood that the principles of the present invention are as applicable to the production of boxes having either greater depth than width or equal dimensions in two or all three directions.

More specifically, each end fiap or panel section A is cut to have four edges, designated in a clockwise sense and starting with the fold line F by the numerals 1 to 4, with the edges A2, A3 and A4 being free, the length of the edge A3 being the same as the width of the associated side panel A, and the length of the edges A2 and A4 being the same as the width of the middle panel B. Each end flap or panel section B is cut to have five edges, designated in a clockwise sense and starting with the fold line F by the numerals 1 to 5, with the edges B2, B3, B4 and BS being free, the length of the edge Bl being the same as the width of the associated middle panel B, the length of the edge BS being the same as the length of edge A1, and the edge BS being parallel to the edge BS. The edge Bd need not necessarily be rectilinear as shown and could be curved or otherwise contoured, as long as the remaining described relationships are present. Each end flap or panel section C is cut to have four edges, designated in a clockwise sense and starting with the fold line F by the numerals 1 to 4, with the edges C2, C3 and C-4 be ing free, and the length of the edge C'-1 being equal to the length of the edge A-3. The edges BZ and C4 diverge from a common point at the juncture between the fold lines E and F obliquely of their respective end flaps and at an angle of 90 to each other and are of the same length so as to ensure that a square corner will be formed at the respective end of the box when the end flaps i3 and C are folded as will presently be described. The edge C'3, in the unfolded condition of the blank, is perpendicular to the edge B3. As previously indicated, at the other end of the blank S the end flaps are reversely arranged, out except for the orientation, the end flap A is identical with the end flap C, the end flap C is identical with the end flap A, and the end flap B is identical with the end flap B.

One important advantage accruing from the blank formation according to the present invention as so far described is the fact that, by virtue of the reverse and asymmetrical arrangement of the end flaps at the opposite ends of each blank in the manner disclosed herein, with the end flaps sequentially decreasing in size at each end of the blank from one side of the latter to the other, and with the obliquity of the edges B4 and B4 of the middle panel end flaps properly selected, each end of a blank is mated as closely as possible with the adjacent end of the next blank, as clearly shown in the left-hand portion of FIG. 1. In this manner, the amount of scrap losses incurred in severing and forming the successive blanks S from the sheet S is considerably reduced, whereby a greater number of blanks per standard commercially available length of the strip S can be produced and substantial economies in the manufacture of the boxes H are attained.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the outside surface of the strip S, ie that surface which will ultimately be the outer surface of the box, has applied thereto two layers of a suitable covering or lining material, e.g. paper, the respective strips of this lining material covering the outer panel regions A and C "1 their entirety and preferably also extending slightly beyond the fold lines D and E into the middle panel region B, as indicated at a and c. The remainder of the outside surface of the panel region B is defined by the natural and uncovered paperboard.

In order to form the box H, the side panels A and C are folded upwardly relative to the middle panel B (see FIG. 2) along the fold lines D and E, with the outside surface of the middle panel B facing downwardly. The end flaps B and B are then folded upwardly along their respective edges Bl and B1 (which lie on the fold lines E and G), and the end flaps C and A are folded inwardly, i.e. toward the upwardly disposed end flaps B an B, along their respective edges C'1 and A"1. The oblique edges C4 and A"-4 of the flaps C and A thus are brought into close-fitting engagement with the oblique edges BZ and B"-2 of the flaps B and B, and concurrently the now vertical edges C3 and A3 of the end fiaps C and A are brought into close-fitting engagement with the correspondingly oriented edges B3 and B3 of the end liaps B and B". Corresponding portions of the end flaps C and A" thus extend upwardly beyond the edges B4 and B-4 of the fiaps B and B. The end flaps A and C are now folded inwardly along their respective edges Alt and C1 to overlie the juxtaposed and mated pairs of end flaps BC and AB. Suitable adhesive or glue having been previousiy applied most preferably to the outside surfaces of the inner end flaps BC and AB", the outer end flaps A and C are bonded to the inner end flaps, thereby to complete the end Walls of the box H.

It will be appreciated, therefore, that since the outer surfaces of the end walls of the box are defined by the end flaps A and C, which are extensions of the sidewalls of the box, the end walls will automatically be covered with paper or other lining material. The bottom of the box, of course, is not so covered, not need it be since it will generally not be exposed to view, and since the outer surfaces of the end walls are no longer defined by extensions of the bottom of the box. The present invention thus makes it possible to eliminate completely the need for covering the middle panel region B of the starting strip or sheet S, whereby a further substantial saving is achieved by virtue of the fact that the amount of paper or other lining material which must be used to cover the outside of the box is correspondingly reduced. In practice, however, the small overlap regions a and c are provided to reduce the likelihood of the covering material peeling off the side walls.

It will also be clear that even though the end walls of the box are not of double layer thickness throughout, the single layer thickness portions are limited to the relatively small areas above the edges B4 and B-4 of the end fiaps B and B", and thus no appreciable loss of wall strength results.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is for purposes of illustration only, and that the structural and functional features and interrelationships disclosed herein are susceptible to a number of changes and modifications none of which entails any departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the hereto appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A box or carton having side and end walls and a bottom, comprising a blank of sheet material divided into a plurality of side-by-side panel regions by spaced parallel first fold lines, said blank at the opposite ends thereof being provided with two sets of extensions of said panel regions divided from the latter by respective spaced parallel second fold lines perpendicular to said first fold lines, said extensions at one end of said blank being arranged asymmetrically across said blank and having respective dissimilar shapes, said extensions of said middle panel region and one side panel region at said one end of said blank being mated to each other to form, when folded into adjoining relation, a somewhat less than full size inner layer of the respective end wall, said extension of the other side panel region at said one end of said blank being shaped to form a full size outer layer of said respective end wall, and said extensions at the other end of said blank being identical in terms of shape to said extensions at said one end of said blank but being reversed with respect thereto in terms of the asymmetric arrangement across said blank, whereby a substantial reduction in scrap losses incurred during manufacture of a multiplicity of such blanks is achieved.

2. A box according to claim 1, each pair of said mated extensions having at their adjacent sides a pair of oblique edges diverging at an angle of 90 to each other from a common point at the juncture between the respective ones of said first and second fold lines.

3. A box according to claim 1, the outside surfaces of said side panel regions of said blank and their respective extensions being fully lined with covering material, the outer surface of said middle panel region and its extensions being substantially unlined whereby a substantial reduction in the consumption of such covering material is achieved.

4. A box according to claim 3, the expanse of said covering material on each of said side panel regions being wide enough to extend a short distance beyond said first fold lines into said middle panel region.

5. A box or carton having side walls, multilayer end walls, and a bottom, comprising a blank of sheet material divided by spaced parallel fold lines into a plurality of side-by-side panel regions each having at its opposite ends a pair of end wall-forming extensions, one of said extensions of one side wall-forming panel region and the corresponding diagonally opposite extension of the other side wall-forming panel region each being shaped to constitute a full size outer layer of the respective end wall, the outside surface of said blank in those portions thereof which constitute the side wall-forming panel regions and their extensions being fully lined with covering material, and the intermediate bottom-forming panel region and its extensions being substantially unlined, whereby a substantial reduction in the consumption of such covering material is achieved.

6. A box according to claim 5, the expanse of said covering material on each of said side wall-forming panel regions and its extensions being wide enough to extend a short distance beyond said fold lines into said bottom forming panel region.

7. A box according to claim 5, said extensions of each of said panel regions being divided from the same by respective parallel fold lines perpendicular to said firstnamed fold lines, said extensions at one end of said blank being arranged asymmetrically across said blank and having respective dissimilar shapes, and said extensions at the other end of said blank being identical in terms of shape to said extensions at said one end of said blank but being reversed with respect to said extensions at said one end of said blank in terms of the asymmetric arrangement across said blank, whereby a substantial reduction of scrap losses incurred during manufacture of a multiplicity of such blanks is achieved.

8. -A box according to claim 7, the end walls of the box being of double layer thickness over the major portion of their expanse, the inside layer of each end wall of the box being of somewhat less than full size and being constituted by a pair of complementarily mated, less than full width, adjacent extensions of said bottomforming panel region and the respective other side wallforming panel region of said blank.

9. A box according to claim 8, each pair of said mated extensions having at their adjacent sides a pair of oblique edges diverging at an angle of to each other from a common point at one end of the fold line between said last-named panel regions.

10. A box according to claim 7, all of said extensions of said panel regions at each end of said blank being divided from said panel regions by a respective common fold line perpendicular to said first-named fold lines.

11. A box according to claim 10, the end walls of the box being of double layer thickness over the major portion of their expanse, the inside layer of each end wall of the box being of somewhat less than full size and being constituted by a pair or complementarily mated, less than full width, adjacent extensions of said bottomforming panel region and the respective other side wallforming panel region of said blank, each pair of said mated extensions having at their adjacent sides a pair of oblique edges diverging at an angle of 90 to each other from a common point at the juncture between the respective common fold line and the fold line which divides said bottom-forming panel region from said respective other side wall-forming panel region of said blank.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 272,327 2/1883 Rogers.

887,352 5/1908 Sommer 22933.57 1,480,809 1/ 1924 Labombarde 22932.1 14 1,762,704 6/1930 Smith 229-32.140 1,811,135 6/1931 Knowlton 22932.142

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner. 

